Various commercial products and/or patents are available for stabilizing and maintaining the position of eyewear on a user. These references can be separated into several classes: 1. tubular cylindrical devices that are added to temples to retain glasses on a user; 2. tubular cylindrical devices added to temples that include a curved retainer that is positioned behind a user's ears; 3. curved discs that fit onto temples and are positioned around the mastoid bone; and 4. hybrid adjustable retainer straps that prevent eyewear from falling off a user and contain elements of devices that maintain the position of eyewear on a user, such as tubular cylindrical elements with or without curved elements.
U.S. Patents relevant to the first class of using tubular cylindrical devices to stabilize and maintain position of eyewear include U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,626,538; 5,002,381; 5,054,903; 8,733,926; and U.S. Patent Application 2005/0286013. They show an ear contact tubular or cylindrical element that can slide onto the temple(s) of eyewear to preclude slippage of eyewear forward and downward on a user's nose and face. All involve a non-adjustable one size radius tubular concentric device intended to maintain interference fitment between the user's head and the temples containing the tubular device. If the size is not correct for optimal interference fitment, the tubular device would have to substitutes for one with a different radius for optimal interference fitment. U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,903 shows another example of a tubular segment on a temple to prevent slippage of the glasses forward on a user's nose and face. The tubular segment is positioned in a recess to keep it in place from moving forward or backwards. This invention also lacks the ability to increase the radius of the tubular segment in situ without exchanging to a different radius-sized tubular segment. U.S. Pat. No. 8,733,926 shows a cylindrical or other shaped columns, such as hexagonal, rectangular or square prisms, to fit onto the distal ends of temples of eyewear. It teaches a column that fits on the distal ends of the temples and includes a channel that is located at the center of the column, and does not teach off-centered channels, such as an eccentric shape with different radii that could be rotated on temples to obtain the best radius of the column for optimal interference fitment of temples on a user. A single radius cylinder or column located on eyewear temples may not retain the eyewear from moving forward because the connecting means located between temples and the eyewear lens component, have lateral movement capability to permit eyewear to be worn for users with different head sizes. As a consequence the single radius of a concentric column or column device placed on the eyewear temple may not allow adequate interference fitment of the eyewear on a user. Moreover a single radius cylinder or column on eyewear temples are often positioned on the upper ledge of the ear between the user's head and pinnae. There is less interference fitment means to retain the eyewear in that location and additionally that location forces the pinnae laterally creating an unpleasant aesthetic appearance for a user.
The second class involves using a tubular part with a curved element placed on temples and are located behind a user's ears. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,626,538; 6,000,795; and 6,450,640 describe examples of this class. The tubular contact member are designed with one diameter located on the temples and have a downward member that curves concavely to conform to the upper posterior surface of the base of the ear. In essence the tubular elements have one radius which precludes adjustment in situ to a different radius to improve contact between the user's head and the tubular element. In addition although the curved element holds the eyewear from moving forward away from a user's nose and face, it has a single radius that cannot be adjusted in situ to another more optimal radius to minimize anterior and/or lateral movement, and thereby stabilize and maintain the position of eyewear on a user. Moreover these devices do not provide easy pivoting means to permit superior eyewear positioning onto the top of a user's head or forehead and do not provide means to maintain and stabilize interference fitment of eyewear when positioned in that location.
The third class represented by U.S. Pat. No. 7,862,168 utilizes curved disc extensions attached to the distal ends of the temples where they are located onto the mastoid bones of the user. This device has one thickness/radius and cannot be switched in situ to a different thickness or radius to adjust for best fitment to preclude anterior or lateral movement of the eyewear on a user. Moreover these devices do not provide easy pivoting means to permit superior eyewear positioning onto the top of a user's head or forehead and do not provide means to maintain and stabilize interference fitment of eyewear when positioned in that location.
The fourth class are hybrid devices that stabilize and maintain position of eyewear in combination with adjustable retainer straps attached to temples which wrap around the posterior aspect of a user's head. U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,604 shows a retainer strap with a tubular element that fits onto temples. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,657,364 and 5,002,381 have a curved element for positioning behind a user's ears and an adjustable retainer strap. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,502,396; 3,879,804; 6,941,619; 7,399,079; and 7,845,795 all include a retainer strap that is adjustable to hold the eyewear tightly on the user's head. U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,604 has a tubular element with a retainer integrated onto it for slippage onto temples. U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,612 shows a tubular member on temples in combination with a retainer strap. U.S. Patent Application 2013/0077043 has a modular temple connecting accessory with a non-rotatable single radius temple element. The devices in this class teach a single radius cylindrical part that cannot change radius in situ to improve interference fitment with the user's head.
Despite the various products and/or patents known to stabilize and/or maintain the position of eyewear on a user, there remains a need for a device providing improved stabilization and adjustability. It is against this backdrop of products and written description that the present invention is set forth, notably overcoming the combined limitations of products in the state of the art.
It is an advantage of the invention to provide a device on eyewear that permits a user to adjust the device in situ, thereby stabilizing and maintaining the position of the eyewear on a user.
It is an advantage to provide a device on eyewear that can be adjusted by rotating the device in situ and/or move the device anteriorly or posteriorly on the temples to obtain an optimal radius interference fitment for maintaining contact between the user's head and the device, thereby stabilizing and maintaining the position of the eyewear on a user.
It is an advantage to provide a device on eyewear that will permit a user to exercise vigorously and reduce likelihood of eyewear from moving off from its optimal position on a user's head and nose.
It is an advantage to provide a device that will stabilize and maintain positioning of eyewear on a user when the eyewear is located on the user's nose, face and head or when the eyewear has been moved to the user's forehead or top of the head.
It is an advantage to provide a device that can stabilize and maintain user intended positions of eyewear on a user's nose, face and head or on top of a user's head or forehead and minimize dislocating from those intended positions.
It is advantage to provide a device on eyewear which can be integrated with a retainer strap and/or allow rotation of the device on temples without causing the retainer strap to curl on itself.
It is an advantage to include ridges and/or grooves and/or any roughened pattern on the exterior surface of device on eyewear to allow improved grip for the user to rotate or move the device in situ on the temples.
It is an advantage to add groves or gutter-like patterns onto the surface of the device that will allow water or perspiration beads to drain off or away from the device and thereby stabilize and maintain the position of eyewear on a user.
It is an advantage for a device to be integrated into eyewear temples thereby adding a multi-radius eccentric structure that can be rotated or moved laterally in situ on eyewear temples by a user to obtain the optimal radius interference fitment for maintaining contact between the user's head and the device.
Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.